Don't Panic
by Ice Princess Xia
Summary: Their smiles completely faded, the two partners looked into the room not finding what they had expected. It had been a trap, a pretty obvious one at that, but once it began there was no stopping the eminent price they would pay for their mistakes. The two glanced over at each other before, without warning, the barrage of bullets came. Yaoi 3x4 1x5 Character death.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters etc. Also, I do not own Coldplay or any of their song names.

Okay, I have literally been working on this story for the past 5 years, re-reading it over and over again. I don't think it's perfect by any means but I think I'm finally ready to post it. I've been out of the fan fiction game for a while so my apologies for any weird mistakes made.

This story is set after the wars and you might notice all of the chapter titles and the main title are Coldplay songs. This is because these songs inspired me to write this story and/or they have a deeper meaning with what is going on within the plot. If you'd like, check them out! This first chapter is definitely the longest since it sets up everything else. This does contain yaoi; mostly 3x4 and eventually 1x5.

I hope you enjoy!

**Don't Panic**

Chapter One: Warning Sign

Duo gave a chuckle as he sipped on his beer, his feet comfortably outstretched and resting on the kitchen table as he leaned back on his chair. The others were lounging as well though not quite as horizontally. Quatre was sitting to Duo's left leaning on Trowa's shoulder with his arms crossed over his chest while Trowa had his arm around Quatre's shoulders and his legs crossed out in front of him. Across the table from Trowa was Heero who was sitting on the edge of his chair, his legs sprawled out in front of him and leaning back with his hands linked behind his head. Lastly, Wufei also had his arms crossed on his chest with his right ankle resting lightly on his left knee. What was left of their dinner was quickly cooling in front of them but no one seemed to want to move it, each casually sipping their drink of choice for the evening; beers for Heero and Duo, wine for Quatre, coffee for Trowa and tea for Wufei.

And this was just how the former Gundam pilots rested after a hard day's work, the rest of the world be damned to disturb it. It had been two years since the second war but the boys really hadn't changed much beyond growing and maturing as any teenage boy would. They all had finally settled into the routine lives they'd longed for after the chaotic years before and after the wars. Quatre took over his father's company as intended but refused to leave Earth in order to do so. It was hard at first to establish his authority from such a distance and it put some major strain on Quatre and Trowa's relationship but the Arabian pushed through it and, with the help of his Maganac friends, is now able to remain on Earth with his friends. As for the other four, they all decided to join Lady Une and her Preventer team; Sally and Noin were also Agents within the organization. The four were readily accepted and immediately split into two teams; Wufei with Duo and Heero with Trowa. After many years of unadulterated, relentless, and sometimes brutal friendship, they had learned never to take the small moments for granted, like their quiet after-dinner dialogue. Quatre cleared his throat.

"So how were things at the office today?"

"Pretty slow morning; mostly paperwork, took a long lunch, then mission debriefing in the afternoon." Duo spoke casually and the others nodded. They had all just shared the most recent mission; a simple retrieval of stolen government information. Trowa rubbed his hand along Quatre's shoulder and the blonde leaned closer to him.

"Things are starting to slow down it seems."

"Finally." Wufei spoke for all of them when he said it. Everyone paused to agree with him and then Duo snorted. Quatre looked to him curiously; Duo needed no further questioning.

"It wasn't such a slow day for Heero though…this chick tried to flirt with him over our lunch break; it was hilarious!" Duo only barely dodged Heero's suddenly airborne and fortunately empty beer can. The braided teen couldn't stop laughing along with his comrades.

"It was pretty funny when he not-so-subtly rejected her." Trowa spoke through his laughter causing Wufei to respond.

"Not-so-subtle? He told her that 'if she wished to reproduce with someone, she should set her standards lower and hit up the nearest bar' and you call that not-so-subtle?"

"She never would've gone away and I wasn't interested or about to tolerate it."

"Heero, that was a little harsh. You could've just said you were already dating or something." Quatre spoke to a blank-faced Heero.

"Not Heero, he must be as blunt and honest as possible; some things never change." Duo dodged another object, a fork this time, but in doing so he fell off his chair causing an even louder uproar of laughter. After landing with a grunt, even Duo was hysterical, rolling around on the floor. Wufei shook his head at his friend before helping him back into his chair.

"Thank you, I'm here all night." Once the laughter subsided, silence settled comfortably amid them. They couldn't help but smile at the strong bond felt between them even through the periods of calm. Each former pilot had lived on his own for so long that it felt nice to actually have people around them to trust and even love. It wasn't until a huge yawn escaped Quatre's throat that everyone was aware of the time. Trowa smiled at his sleepy boyfriend.

"Looks like it's time for little businessmen to go to bed." Quatre scowled, though only half-heartedly.

"Just because I yawned once doesn't mean…" Quatre interrupted himself with another yawn and sighed in defeat. "Okay, take me to bed."

"Yes sir." Trowa raised his eyebrows suggestively, standing and pulling Quatre with him. Duo shook his head at the two and grinned at their overly cute way of just being together. Quatre waved groggily to the others as Trowa lead him along toward the stairs. Wufei sighed staring ahead at everything sitting in front of them.

"I guess it's about time to clean up this mess isn't it?"

"Don't worry about it; I'll get it tonight. You two can go ahead and get some sleep" Heero stood as he spoke and started gathering the plates and silverware from the table. Wufei stared up at him.

"Are you sure? I mean, I can help you if you'd like; I'm not too tired yet." Wufei hoped his friend would accept but doubted it would actually happen. Duo smiled knowingly at the two of them and decided to make his exit.

"Well, I hate cleaning so….good night!" With that, Duo was out of the room but Wufei was still looking to Heero questioningly.

"You really don't have to stay. I can handle it." Heero finally turned to Wufei and genuinely smiled. Granted it wasn't a full out smile, but Wufei still found himself entirely captivated by it. Before too long, Wufei just nodded in response and slowly made his way to the staircase. Heero's eyes followed him until he was out of sight and then the former Wing pilot sighed to himself.

"Why did I turn him down when I want to spend more time with him? Stupid nerves…" Heero put his frustration toward cleaning up the table. After gathering all of the plates and moving them to the sink, Heero didn't miss a beat as he spoke.

"You know, if you're just going to stand there you could at least help."

Duo walked out from the shadows, a guilty grin on his face and approached the table, leaning against one of the chairs.

"But Heero, my friend, you said that you could handle it all by yourself." Heero sighed and shot a glare back to his friend.

"Oh shut up…" Duo shook his head and began gathering more items from the table. Once everything was in a neat pile, Duo carried it over to the sink and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You need to man up Heero." The former Wing pilot looked ready to protest but Duo didn't let him. "Seriously! I mean, he _wanted_ to help you; you don't just turn down an opportunity when it falls in your lap like that. You grab it, throw it on the ground and make love to it so hot that you wake the rest of the…" Duo held his hands up as Heero whipped the dish towel toward him. The brunettes exchanged blows for another minute before Heero stopped defeated and leaned against the sink, a serious look on his face.

"I just…I'm too nervous. I don't even know if he feels the same way about me." Duo snorted, shooting him a look.

"Trust me, he does." Heero frowned.

"How can you know for sure?" Duo shook his head almost in disbelief.

"Did I not totally call Quat and Tro's relationship before they even told us about it?" Heero nodded; he had to give him that at least. Duo nodded in agreement as well.

"You see? When will you ever learn that I am always right my good friend?" Duo smiled as Heero rolled his eyes. The braided teen then put a supportive arm around Heero's shoulders. "Just trust me; he likes you back. All you've got to do is make the move." Heero still looked weary about it and Duo sighed.

"Fine, I'll find out for you okay?" Heero furrowed his brow and before he could speak, Duo answered his question. "Don't worry; I won't mention anything about you or even the possibility of it. I'll just ask the basics. But then, you have no excuse to hold you back from pouncing on his cute little Chinese butt." Duo chuckled at the blush and the smile that crossed over Heero's expression before he began walking away. Heero called out his thanks after him and Duo raised his hand to acknowledge it before disappearing from sight. Turning back to the sink, Heero couldn't help but smile still. Once everything was rinsed and in the dishwasher, the brunette went to his own room and prepared for a night of rest.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, the four Preventer agents awoke to the steady beeping of their laptops. Each grudgingly read the same message from Lady Une requesting that they be in to the office ahead of schedule that morning for a new mission. Heero headed for his shower, Wufei toward his window to meditate and Trowa, after a quick snuggle with the still resting Quatre, headed for the kitchen for his morning cup of coffee. As he softly treaded toward his destination, Trowa stopped and observed the person already occupying the space. There staring out the small window stood Duo clutching his mug of steaming black coffee a contemplative expression on his face. It seemed he was already dressed and ready to go other than needing to put on his shoes and jacket. Trowa quietly marveled the moment and couldn't help but note the tinge of sadness in Duo's face. The green eyed teen leaned his shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.<p>

"Something on your mind?" At the question, Duo smiled and turned to his friend.

"It's just a beautiful day." Before Trowa could move, Duo was already pouring him his own cup of the morning's brew. The brunette happily handed the cup over and changed the subject. "What do you think Une wants us in so early for?"

Trowa nodded his thanks then shrugged while taking a sip. "Nothing big I hope."

"I wouldn't guess with things seeming slower recently. Still, I'd love to get it done and come back home early, wouldn't you? Have a little time to ourselves, maybe get some things done." Trowa nodded in agreement, taking another sip of his java. The two looked to the side as they heard footsteps behind them. Trowa smiled as he saw Quatre's sleepy form shuffling their way and turned completely to greet him.

"What are you doing out of bed Little One?" The fuzzy robe-clad Quatre merely responded by snuggling into Trowa, wrapping his arms around him and nestling into the crook of Trowa's neck. Trowa smiled and hugged him back while Duo looked on fondly.

"Too cold without you…" Quatre's voice was muffled but not unheard and Trowa rubbed his hands along the blonde's back. Duo chuckled at bit to himself before finishing off his coffee and placing his mug in the sink. He then turned back to the couple and shook his head.

"Oh Quatre; you know, your man has to leave soon. We all have serious work to do. And I hope that you get some work done too for once." Duo was only teasing; he knew full and well how much Quatre really did for work. "I mean, we all know you just lounge around here all day."

Scowling a little, Quatre retreated from his comfortable spot in Trowa's neck long enough to stick his tongue out at Duo. The braided teen just returned the gesture as Heero walked up on the exchange shaking his head. Quatre spoke again.

"You guys should just skip work today," Heero raised an eyebrow at him. "Come on…one day wouldn't hurt. We could all go out and do something." Trowa gave his love a squeeze.

"Another day."

"If we didn't have orders from Une, I wouldn't mind it." Duo's mouth gaped open at Heero's response shocked at what he just said.

"What? You mean to tell me the great mighty Heero would skip out on work?" The brunette in question shrugged.

"There's not much need for us anymore all we do is paperwork and pointless missions. I don't mean to retire before I'm even 20 but it would be nice to live for once." All four took a moment pensive on Heero's comment; it was true, they each had worked enough for one lifetime at least. Duo smiled.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Back to bed, all of us!" He began to march away happily but was pulled back by his braid and Heero's uncompromising face. Duo was about to react when Heero spoke up.

"Are _you_ going to call Une and tell her why we're not coming in today?" With that, Duo shrank away from him looking scared. "That's what I thought." The braided teen pouted but got no sympathy, not even from Quatre.

Before long everyone was dressed and ready to leave.

"Don't work too hard Quat!" Duo called back as he was ushered outside. They all piled into their car and began their speedy journey to the Preventers office. As usual silence settled between the boys until Duo began to pout again.

"Seriously we should just call out sick today; it's not like any of us ever have before." Wufei, having not already witnessed this conversation, turned to his partner.

"Because all four of us calling out looks perfectly normal."

"I think anyone in that office would concede that we need to take some time off because we work ten times harder than all of them."

"Yeah, and they hate us for it because they know if we ever leave they'll actually have to get off their asses and get on the field for missions." Heero chimed in from the driver's seat. Wufei smiled some and chuckled to himself. "What's funny?"

"Oh I was just remembering one of our first missions when Duo almost got he and I killed because he dropped his grenade instead of throwing it so I had to punt it in the other direction. And then we were surrounded because we gave away our location." Duo gulped from his seat.

"Is that what really happened?" Trowa wondered aloud, "I thought you said it was your fault Wufei?"

Heero nodded, "Yeah then he yelled back and forth with Lady Une for an hour about how our weapons specialists needed to check their equipment before they issue it for real life missions."

"How long are you going to hold that over my head Fei?" Duo grumbled at his partner.

"Just don't forget I saved your ass back then, literally." Duo would've retorted but realized they were just outside the office and kept it to himself.

Without even a quick stop off at their offices, they all gathered in Une's briefing room immediately after arriving at the Preventers building. A crisp greeting was said before the four sat down and Lady Une began.

"We've got another retrieval mission today." Une took a moment to pull up the blue prints of a building, pointing as she spoke. "Within this building is top secret information about the former OZ…"

"What kind of information?" Heero spoke from behind his briefing folder before putting it down and speaking again. "It doesn't say here."

"That's because the information has not been exactly determined; it could be anything from mobile suit plans to other weaponry details or simple pointless documents. Headquarters was very short with me about it, simply urging that it was top priority to be completed today."

"But, this building has been abandoned for years. I believe we've even been inside before for routine checks pertaining to any information just like this." Une sighed.

"Yes Agent Barton, I am aware of that. Again, headquarters is tying my hands about this. They want all four of you to leave as soon as possible. Now you'll see that the main computer…"

"Why would headquarters send all four of us?" Wufei was eyeing the papers in front of him suspiciously; something seemed off to him. "If the building is abandoned and the information might be useless, to send four people just seems a little much." Seeing the anger flaring in Lady Une's eyes, Duo stepped in before his partner was torn apart.

"Oh Fei, you're right as always. I mean, there's really no need for all four of us. Why don't you and I take it? We can be in and out of there in a flash, no need to drag Tro and 'Ro into it. You know that it makes more sense that way Lady Une, me being the master of stealth and Wufei being the best at hand-to-hand combat if we need to take somebody out non-fatally." Une looked ready to protest but Duo didn't give her a chance.

"It's settled then. Agent Chang and I will head out in one hour." Knowing that anything she said would just be turned down, Lady Une agreed. With that done, the four nodded to their superior before heading out of her office and to their own. Along the way, Wufei still seemed doubtful.

"Does this really only appear odd to me?"

"What is it Wuffie? Don't think we can handle this alone?" A glare formed on the Chinese teen's face.

"It's not that…I just can't shake the feeling that there is something unusual about this mission." Ahead of them, Heero spoke in his monotone voice.

"If what Une says is correct, it sounds like headquarters was in a hurry this morning…but I'll agree that something seems a little weird. You might take some extra precaution about it." Trowa nodded in agreement as well but Duo sighed and shook his head.

"You guys are paranoid."

An hour later, Wufei and Duo, along with a backup team sent on all missions just in case, headed out for their retrieval mission. Having already memorized the blueprints to the building and exactly what was needed of them, they left with few supplies. They took their Preventer issue pistols as well as a knife hidden in their boot; each had only one smoke grenade, one lock pick and a communicator if they needed to contact the backup. Because they needed stealth more than protection, they wore only the thinnest form of body armor under their street clothing as a precaution. The building was more than likely abandoned but if anyone happened to be inside, they didn't want to seem obviously threatening or be left completely unprotected. As usual, before they set out, Wufei and Duo stopped by to see Heero and Trowa. The two looked up from their desk work to acknowledge their comrades.

"You sure you guys will be okay by yourselves?" Trowa spoke in a Heero-like monotone, already knowing the answer to his question but still compelled to ask it. Duo merely scoffed.

"We'll be fine. There's probably nothing there to begin with anyway. Headquarters just doesn't want us to lose our edge." Wufei couldn't help but frown still thinking about it. He saw Heero staring at him out of the corner of his eye and turned to the brunette, recognizing his unspoken good luck.

"We should be back shortly." Wufei held Heero's gaze for as long as he could, soaking in every detail before turning to walk out. He glanced back again briefly, seeing Duo and Heero speaking quietly to one another. He waited for his partner, who quickly trotted up next to him and then they were off.

It only took about fifteen minutes to reach their destination and soon Wufei and Duo found themselves standing just outside the back door of a massive almost decrepit warehouse. Wufei had told the backup team to hold back a block away so that no extra attention was drawn toward them. He looked to his partner and Duo stared back at him expectantly.

"Ready?" With a curt nod, the two were treading toward the building. As they entered, Wufei kept a hand on his gun at all times. Duo didn't bother with such things as he navigated their memorized route; instead, he spurred conversations.

"So tell me something; how do you really feel about homosexuals?" Wufei glanced in Duo's direction briefly and spoke in a hushed tone.

"This is hardly the time…"

"Oh come on, we've got nothing better to do." The pair stopped to check around the corner before turning down a new hallway. Duo continued, "Besides, I find it important to know since we happen to live with some." Wufei raised an eyebrow at Duo questioningly but eventually gave in knowing he didn't stand a chance against his partner's annoyingly stubborn personality.

"Well, of course I support them. And even if I didn't, I could never feel badly toward those two especially not for a choice they made to love one another. What kind of a friend would I be?" Wufei quickly avoided saying any names out loud in case they were somehow being monitored. So maybe he was a little paranoid…

"And…would you ever make that choice? To love another man?" At this Wufei stopped walking and turned to face his partner. Duo put his hands up in defense. "Dude, I'm not asking you out." Wufei felt relief wash over him briefly and they continued down the hallway. "I only ask because, I mean, I know you were married but that it was kind of forced on you and…I just didn't know." In reality, the braided pilot was asking on Heero's behalf but he would never spill that little secret...or else (as Heero put it). Duo looked to Wufei inquisitively and didn't miss the blush that spread across his face.

"If I happened to fall for someone of the same gender, then so be it. I don't discriminate and I don't close off doors that could lead to better things. Happy?" When Duo nodded enthusiastically, Wufei knew something was definitely up; those questions weren't asked without reason. He wondered briefly if Duo had any idea of the truth; Wufei did in fact have an unspoken attraction toward a certain blue-eyed friend of theirs but he wasn't sure he was ready to explore it quite yet, at least, not without confirmation of the attraction being mutual. This was no time to think of it though as they approached the end of the hallway. Quickly glancing around the corner to the left, Wufei motioned that it was clear and Duo, rolling his eyes, strode over to the doorway that lead to the stairwell. Cautiously, Duo opened the door just enough to slip in while Wufei moved to stand and guard just inside the door. After a thorough check, Duo turned back toward the door and grinned before poking Wufei in the side. The Chinese jumped and held back a curse word. Duo just chuckled as his partner pushed past him and began walking up the stairs. Without looking back, Wufei spoke through gritted teeth.

"I told you not to poke me; one of these days it's going to get us killed." Duo shrugged, still smiling.

"It's more fun that way." Wufei shot a mild glare back at his friend as they continued their ascent. After another few steps of silence, Duo remembered something he had wanted to say earlier.

"You know, I'm glad that you're open-minded about the whole being gay thing. I mean, maybe it's just your cultural upbringing but you seem so rigid about stuff sometimes, part of me really didn't expect to hear what you just said." Duo grinned up at his friend and Wufei couldn't help but smile back pleased to have proved him wrong. When they reached the target floor, they followed the same procedure as before, including Duo poking Wufei when everything was clear. After seeing for himself that the place was really abandoned, Wufei finally let some of his guard down and decided he'd have some fun with Duo.

"So, what about you huh? Ever had a crush on a guy; one of us pilots even?" Wufei chuckled at the amused look Duo shot him before he shook his head, making his braid sway behind him.

"Nah never crushed on a dude. Who would've thought that the guy with the braid would be straight, eh?" Duo smiled then seemed to contemplate something. Wufei quirked an eyebrow and his friend spoke again. "I guess if I had to choose though, I'd pick green eyes. I mean, that acrobat body, tall and lean frame, mysterious aura about him; who could honestly resist?" Wufei blinked and watched as Duo paused, thinking again before speaking. "The only downside I guess would be how motherly he gets sometimes. I mean remember when blondie got the flu? Several weeks after, he couldn't even sniffle without a barrage of questions, poor thing. I've never had a mother officially you know but I figure they act just like…"

Duo trailed off as he realized that Wufei was no longer walking beside him. The brunette glanced behind him and saw Wufei staring at him oddly. Duo quickly ran through everything he'd just said and smiled, shooting Wufei a wink. "Not that you're not a fine catch yourself there handsome." Duo gave his partner a once-over glance and Wufei couldn't help but let out a laugh while he caught up with his partner.

"You sure you're not interested? Should I keep an eye out at night?" Duo smiled and Wufei couldn't help but notice that it looked like Duo knew something and was trying to hide it from him.

"No need to worry. I only talk a big game." They shared another chuckle and Wufei wanted almost desperately to call Duo out on what he was hiding but before he could question him, he realized they had reached their objective.

"We're here."

Mission time; they stopped in front of the door and Duo gracefully kneeled in front of it, pulling his lock pick from his braid. As he began his handy work, Wufei kept watch diligently. After a few more moments the braided Preventer gave a small victory cry and stood, posing in triumph. Wufei rolled his eyes at him though still smiling before pulling the double doors open and leading the way into the room.

"Now let's get crackin' on…. Oh shit."

Their smiles completely faded, the two partners looked into the room not finding what they had expected. Instead of computer equipment and filing cabinets, they were suddenly staring down at least twenty men with guns, poised and ready. It had been a trap, a pretty obvious one at that, but once it began there was no stopping the eminent price they would pay for their mistakes. The two glanced over at each other before, without warning, the barrage of bullets came.

* * *

><p>Trowa shuffled through his pile of papers quietly glancing at the clock on his desk for the tenth time in the past five minutes. He looked over to Heero noticing that his partner seemed to be feeling the same way; Wufei and Duo should've been back by now. Heero furrowed his brow trying not to feel worried but he couldn't help but feel like something hadn't gone quite right on their friends' mission. Their thoughts were pulled away from their focus as suddenly their office door flew open almost forcefully enough to take it off its' hinges. Heero already had his gun drawn and aimed at the intruder. The man's eyes grew wide and, at noticing it was just a lower rank Preventer agent, Heero lowered his weapon.<p>

"What is it?"

"You're needed on the roof immediately; Une's orders." With a quick glance between them, Trowa and Heero set off running. Opting for the stairs, the pair took them two at a time until they finally reached the roof exit. They winced at the sudden onset of sunlight but directed their attention to the pending situation.

"Somebody needs to get a sedative!"

"That won't work you fool, don't you know anything?"

The Preventer helicopter was on the roof and surrounded by several different types of people; soldiers, agents, medical staff and, after quick observation, Lady Une herself. Once they spotted their boss, Trowa and Heero ran to her. She looked to them relieved telling everyone else to back off.

"What's going on?" Trowa stopped in his tracks when he laid eyes on the inside of the helicopter. Heero's eyes grew wide at the sight as well.

In the middle of the helicopter sat Wufei desperately clinging to the bloody heap that was Duo's body. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he continuously cupped Duo's face in his hands whispering things to the braided teen only stopping to bark curse words at anyone who came within two feet. Heero and Trowa could feel themselves shaking and Lady Une tried to bring control to the situation.

"What did I just say? Back away from the helicopter now!" She turned to Heero and Trowa. "We've been trying to calm him down for ten minutes. They both need medical attention; get them out of there." Immediately absorbing her orders, Heero headed for the helicopter with Trowa following close behind. The former Wing pilot stopped just outside and took it slowly, climbing into the helicopter.

"Duo, you can't do this…just open your eyes…" Wufei looked up suddenly at seeing Heero's movement but his breath caught in his throat at seeing Heero's calm face in front of him. Heero quickly scanned the two figures before him, seeing every injury and judging their brutality. Then Heero obtained eye contact with Wufei again.

"Heero…?" It was clear that something had more than snapped inside the Chinese agent's mind as Trowa closely observed the scene before him. There was so much blood surrounding them. More tears fell from Wufei's eyes and Heero carefully moved closer. Even at his slight movement, Heero saw as Wufei clutched onto Duo's body tighter but the brunette never broke eye contact.

"It's me; you don't need to worry anymore Wufei." The Chinese started shaking his head, glancing between Heero and Duo. "Look at me Chang." Heero moved ever closer, discreetly motioning for Trowa, who had been standing just outside, to come closer as well. Wufei looked over; recognizing Trowa, but Heero pulled his attention back to him now kneeling right next to his terrified friend.

"Wufei, you need to let go now." Before he could protest, Heero continued, "Duo needs help. You need to let him go."

"No! I can't…Heero I can't!" Wufei only held onto his bundle tighter and Heero moved to cup Wufei's face in his hands, wiping some of the tears and blood away.

"Hey, you're just going to hand Duo to Trowa, okay? And then Trowa will take care of him…and I'll take care of you." After a moment, a very shaky Wufei nodded and slowly released his grip on their friend. Instantly, Trowa moved in carefully moving Duo's body from Wufei's lap to the approaching stretcher. Wufei stared after them even as Duo was rolled further away. With a quick glance back to Heero, Trowa was off after them. Heero stared at the broken expression in front of him and immediately pulled Wufei in to his chest feeling as his own tears escaped. The Chinese teen closed his eyes, leaning into the embrace though not returning it.

"Heero…he…he wasn't wearing any armor…he…he's…" Wufei's ghostly voice made Heero shudder and hold him even tighter. The brunette took another glance down to his disheveled friend and remembered that he too was also critically injured. After a few more moments, Heero pulled away from Wufei enough to speak to him.

"You're badly injured too. We need to go downstairs. Can you move?" Only blinking in response, Wufei tried to move as much as he could and they carefully made their way to the edge of the helicopter. Heero glanced at his friend worriedly as he helped him limp toward the rest of the medical staff. Suddenly feeling weak and compliant, Wufei didn't react when they pulled him onto a stretcher as well. With one last glance back at Heero, Wufei was taken away. The brunette furrowed his brow at the utter lack of life in Wufei's eyes; however, upon seeing Lady Une nearby, he approached her.

"I want to be on this case…"

"Forget it Yuy. Agents Po and Noin have already been alerted to the situation and will start work on this as soon as possible." Heero glared at her but she was unfazed. "We will discuss this in my office later. Now, go and stay with Agent Chang." Again following his orders, but also his heart, Heero ran toward the stairwell.

Hours later, Heero was sitting at Wufei's bedside. At the end of the mission, Wufei had made it out with a severe bullet wound in his left calf that had nearly shattered the bone, a bullet that badly grazed his right forearm, one cleanly through his left shoulder as well as a broken wrist and several other cuts and bruises along his chest, arms, legs and one deep gash on his cheek. Fortunately, none of his injuries had disrupted any normal functioning for too long other than walking and some hand movements. Now the former Altron pilot seemed to be sleeping though restlessly. Heero frowned as Wufei tossed and turned in his sleep and wanted more than anything to make it stop. At hearing footsteps outside the door, Heero turned and watched as it opened revealing Trowa. Heero didn't have to wonder what Duo's status was with the tear-stained appearance of Trowa's face. Closing the door quietly behind him, Trowa leaned his back against the wall and looked to the floor. Heero was about to go to him but stopped at Wufei's voice.

"He's dead."

Silence ensued after that and all three of them knew it was true. Trowa felt himself tearing up once more and Heero was soon to follow. Wufei spoke again, his voice cold and dull but slightly quivering.

"Get me the hell out of here."

"Une needs to speak with us before…"

"Then let's get it over with."

Even Heero grimaced at Wufei's icy response before nodding to Trowa who handed over the other clothing he had retrieved from Wufei's office; some gray sweat pants, a black t-shirt and some sneakers that the Chinese usually only wore to the gym if he had some time to spare. They'd all had to change out of their uniforms and shower after everything had happened. Heero turned to Wufei expecting him to fight about dressing himself, but to his surprise, Wufei hadn't moved. The former Wing pilot carefully started to dress him as Trowa reached for the wheelchair sitting in the corner. Wufei didn't fight it, even as Heero lifted him like a child to sit in the wheelchair; he just wanted to go home. Heero and Trowa quickly treaded to Lady Une's office agreeing with Wufei's desire to get the meeting over with. A quick knock on the door and the three were allowed into her office. Lady Une frowned at them watching as Heero wheeled Wufei next to two other chairs. She sat down in her own chair and waited for everyone to get settled. Wufei simply stared at the floor, Heero stared at Wufei and Trowa shifted from the two of them to Une repeatedly. Lady Une cleared her throat.

"Let me start by saying how sorr…"

"Save it."

Lady Une's mouth shut audibly at Wufei's comment and she decided to move straight into business.

"This isn't a good time and I know that but…before you leave, I need to know what happened in the field so that all information on this case is up to date." Heero moved his stare from Wufei to his superior but before either could begin fighting; Wufei recounted everything as quickly as possible.

"It was an ambush. We made it to the objective, picked the lock. There were roughly twenty men with guns. They shot at us. I became badly injured…" Wufei hesitated but only briefly. "…he pulled me outside the room despite being injured himself. We took cover. He protected me so that I could live. The backup arrived, carried us out." Wufei swallowed painfully as his lower lip began to quiver. "He wasn't wearing his body armor…he's dead." Heero reached out, placing a hand on Wufei's arm signaling that he had said enough. Behind her desk, Lady Une sighed.

"Thank you Agent Chang…I will pass that information along." She frowned at his lack of response before continuing. "Like I told Agent Yuy, Agents Po and Noin have already been swapped over to this case and will be working on it until further notice. As for you all, I want you to lay low and stay at home until things are settled here."

"No problem. We quit." Lady Une frowned further at Wufei's voice. Trowa and Heero stared slightly bewildered at him and, leaning his head against the back of his wheelchair so that he was staring at the ceiling, he continued. "I won't be doing that again and I won't have either of them do it either. It's bad enough I had to watch one friend die." Heero looked to their superior about ready to say something but Lady Une just shook her head signaling to let it go for now. Heero nodded though still looking to her expectantly.

"All other matters can be resolved at a later time." She quietly dismissed them, watching as they slowly trudged out of her office. They went straight to the parking deck only stopping to help Wufei out of his wheelchair and out to the car. After setting Wufei into the back seat, Heero crawled in next to him and Trowa took the task of finally driving them home.

* * *

><p>Busy as ever, Quatre was bustling about the kitchen in a frenzy. He wasn't sure why but he had all this pent up frustration today and he was putting it all forth into his cooking. Pausing briefly, Quatre looked at the clock and wondered what was keeping his companions. He was somewhat glad that the others were running late since he was as well but he was more worried than anything. Getting back to work, the blonde scowled as he tasted the sauce he'd been making; it tasted absolutely terrible. Hearing the front door open, Quatre sighed hoping that the others might be able to pick up his foul mood. He walked into the living room with a smile but stopped in his tracks at seeing his friends' haggard appearances; none of them were in their uniform anymore, Heero and Trowa looked downright tired, Wufei was leaning heavily against Heero covered in bandages and a cast and to top it all off, Duo wasn't even there. Trowa looked over to his boyfriend in surprise before an air of grief washed over him. Quatre's smile melted away and suddenly his hand was clutching his chest.<p>

"What's going on?" The blonde's breath quickened at Trowa's sad expression as he moved toward him. "Where's Duo?"

"Quat…" Trowa struggled with his words, placing his hands on Quatre's quivering shoulders. "The mission…was a trap…I'm afraid that Duo…D-Duo didn't…" Trowa couldn't finish his statement as he saw Quatre's eyes fill with tears. Wufei looked on emotionlessly and Heero could only grip Wufei tighter as he stared.

"No, it can't be…oh my god, Duo!" Trowa wrapped his arms around his boyfriend as Quatre began crying and howling miserably into Trowa's chest. Trowa's own tears fell as he tried to soothe the Arabian. Tearing his eyes away, Heero glanced over to Wufei's blank face. Slowly, Wufei's face turned a ghostly white and he swallowed hard. His expression was strained as he took a deep breath and his eyelids slid closed. Heero barely had time to react as the Chinese teen's legs gave way beneath him and suddenly all of his weight shifted to the brunette's arms. Heero picked Wufei up completely and his comrade curled into the touch, lifting his uninjured arm to cling to Heero's shirt. Quickly catching Trowa's eye, Heero motioned that he was going to take Wufei upstairs. Trowa nodded while gently rubbing Quatre's back. The blonde couldn't help but notice as Heero walked away holding Wufei gently in his arms. He forced his sobs away for the moment and looked up to his lover.

"Is Wufei okay?" Trowa bit his lip at the question and Quatre sniffled, understanding that it probably wasn't the right time to answer that. Instead, he moved to another question.

"What's going to happen now?" Trowa pulled Quatre closer so that his face was resting in the crook of his neck.

"We'll handle it tomorrow Quatre; don't worry on it now. I think we should all just go to bed for the evening." The blonde nodded, closing his eyes and clinging to Trowa tighter. The brunette let Quatre cling to him a moment longer before gently leading him upstairs. He helped Quatre undress and get into their bed. Once Quatre seemed comfortable, Trowa began to exit the room; the blonde looked to him questioningly. Trowa smiled trying to reassure him.

"I'm just going to clean up downstairs and I'll be right back." Quatre nodded appreciative of the act. He still worried though as he drifted into sleep that Trowa had already seen so much stress today.

Trowa slowly made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen where Quatre had been halfway through cooking their dinner. He released a sigh before beginning the task of cleaning up. He sealed anything still edible up while throwing away anything else. He stared down at the pile of dishes now in the sink. Trowa's mind flew back to merely 12 hours earlier when he came into the kitchen and found Duo standing where he was now.

"_Something on your mind?" At the question, Duo smiled and turned to his friend._

"_It's just a beautiful day." Before Trowa could move, Duo was already pouring him his own cup of the morning's brew. The brunette happily handed the cup over and changed the subject. "What do you think Une wants us in so early for?"_

_Trowa nodded his thanks then shrugged while taking a sip. "Nothing big I hope."_

"_I wouldn't guess with things seeming slower recently. Still, I'd love to get it done and come back home early, wouldn't you? Have a little time to ourselves, maybe get some things done." Trowa nodded in agreement, taking another sip of his java._

Suddenly Trowa was wracked with emotion; he fell forward clutching the sides of the sink to keep himself upright. His breathing became very labored as his body shook all over. Tears escaped from his eyes and defiantly tumbled down his cheeks. One thought flashed before his mind.

How could this happen?

Warily, Heero carried Wufei to his room. Once there, the brunette gently placed his friend down onto the soft surface and moved to grab the comforter only to stop at a gentle tugging on his shirt. Heero looked down seeing Wufei's hand clutching tightly onto him and his eyes desperately seeking comfort. Heero immediately softened his expression and nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. Before Wufei could move, Heero unfastened and removed their shoes, then waited for Wufei to scoot over before climbing into the bed with him. Heero waited for another moment to let Wufei settle before he allowed himself to lie down completely. He pulled the comforter enough to cover them both and turned so that he was facing his bedmate. Wufei's eyes drooped until finally closing and after only a few moments, he was fast asleep. Heero sighed and turned away from him again, now lying on his back staring off pensively; the brunette had dreamed of this moment for so long, the chance to lie in bed next to Wufei…but never under these circumstances.

* * *

><p>Without moving any other part of his body, Wufei opened his eyes after a restless sleep and looked around his room. Remembering the events of the previous evening, Wufei dared a glance to the other side of his bed finding what he had expected; nothing.<p>

He could've lied there hoping it was all just a dream but he knew it wasn't; not because of the casts on his body or pain in his wounds but the heavy feeling in his heart and images he would never erase from his brain. Quickly the Chinese teen rolled himself away from the light shining in through his window and shut his eyes once more. It didn't take long for his exhausted mind to fall back into a deep yet troubled sleep.

Meanwhile, a just-showered Heero was making his way down the hallway from his bedroom. He stopped briefly in front of Wufei's door and debated on whether or not to go in and check on him. As much as the chocolate-haired teen wanted to just climb back into bed with his friend, he didn't want to disturb him if he was still sleeping. So after another few moments of listening, Heero walked away toward and down the staircase into the dining room where Trowa and Quatre were already sitting and drinking some coffee. Heero nodded in greeting before grabbing his own cup and sitting as well. The brunette immediately noticed the couple's haggard expressions and bloodshot eyes. Quatre frowned worriedly.

"How is he?" Heero, while taking a sip of his coffee, shook his head in response and Quatre sighed, looking down to absentmindedly pick at his fingernails.

"He barely slept in the night. Just tossed and turned." After another moment of silence, the blonde spoke again.

"I want to know what happened." The two brunettes glanced at each other before looking back to Quatre who was staring at them determined. Trowa placed his hand over Quatre's.

"Well, we don't really know any of the details…all we know is that Wufei and Duo's mission was a trap." At hearing this, Heero perked up a bit, obviously pensive about something. Trowa continued, "They walked in on a bunch of guys with guns and Duo wasn't wearing any protective gear…Wufei just lost it. He was suspicious about the mission in the first place. He probably blames himself…" Quatre frowned, wiping a stray tear from his cheek and squeezed his boyfriend's hand.

"I'll go up and check on him later; we'll give him some space for now though." Trowa nodded and the two then looked over to Heero who had an apprehensive expression. "Heero, what is it?" The brunette looked up at Quatre's worried face and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"It's just…well, just now you said Duo and Wufei's mission." Heero looked to Trowa who nodded in return. "Well, it didn't start out being their mission." The former Wing pilot let his partner soak in this information and saw as the wheels began turning in Trowa's head.

"Headquarters wanted all of us to be there…which means…"

"Something's up." Heero's monotone voice echoed for a moment and Quatre furrowed his brow, not quite caught up in the conversation. Before he could question anyone though, Trowa turned to him.

"Yesterday's mission was sent to Lady Une straight from Headquarters and it stated for all of us to go but Duo and Wufei went alone because it seemed unnecessary for all four. So if the mission was a trap…"

"It means Headquarters wanted all of us dead; all of us possibly including you as well Quat. It just depends on whether they wanted to just take out the Preventers top four agents or all five Gundam pilots." Quatre nodded worriedly at Heero's words, sighing to himself. Heero sipped the last of his coffee as Trowa leaned into his boyfriend concerned.

"Don't worry too much…we're going to get it covered." Quatre smiled some to Trowa before they shared a brief kiss, then he sighed again.

"I'm not so much worried about that… we can at least handle that with some force like we've all been trained. I'm more concerned with Wufei really." Trowa frowned, nodding in agreement.

"I'll take care of him." The couple turned to Heero who was now standing. "I know if I can just get through to him…" Trowa and Quatre could see the determination and compassion in Heero's eyes and knew he wouldn't stop until he did.

* * *

><p>A few days passed until the funeral. The boys were dreading it but knew it was the only way to give respects to Duo one last time. Wufei hadn't left his room since they had come home after it happened. They each had tried their best to coax him out or even brought food to his room but he wouldn't respond. They weren't sure how they would be able to get him to go with them but to their surprise he made his way downstairs in an all white robe honoring his cultural traditions. Quatre tried to speak to him and offer him food but Wufei remained silent. Heero frowned at how pale he had become.<p>

The car ride was silent other than sniffling from Quatre who hadn't been able to stop crying. Trowa comforted him in the back seat but couldn't stop tears from forming in his own eyes as well. Heero remained calm as he pulled into the cemetery looking over the see Wufei's reaction. The Chinese was staring blankly at the gravesite. Heero placed a hand on his shoulder signaling to him that it was time. Wufei dropped his gaze and carefully got out of the car.

The funeral proceeded like any other. Mostly Preventer agents were in attendance as most of Duo's family and friends were unknown or had been murdered. Lady Une stood and gave a speech about Duo's strength and attitude but all of it went unheard by Wufei. He sat staring at the closed casket his hands clenching and unclenching in his lap. He sat wondering what he could've done to save their friend, how he could've prevented it, how he or his friends could ever forgive him. His thoughts were interrupted when a hand reached over and grasped his. Wufei looked over to Heero who was staring at him intently tears silently falling down his cheeks. Wufei closed his eyes and allowed a few tears of his own to fall. He could hear Quatre's sniffles and other's sobs. Wufei looked away as they lowered the casket into the ground.

After speaking with Lady Une for a moment, Heero approached the others who were waiting by the car. He immediately saw how tired everyone looked and felt his own fatigue as well.

"Let's go home."

Once they were back in a familiar place the four former pilots entered their home saddened at how quiet it had become without Duo's presence. Wufei immediately began making his way up the stairs though struggled with the pain of his leg. Heero jogged up behind him and Wufei accepted his help as they made their way to Wufei's room. Heero helped him sit in his bed.

"I've got to change your bandages." Heero stated this firmly hoping to show Wufei he wasn't going to just let it go. Surprisingly, Wufei did his best to cooperate though not without questions.

"Why are you doing this? Taking care of me like this."

"You won't take care of yourself, so I will." At this Wufei stopped letting Heero dress his wounds. He moved away as much as he could but Heero was persistent and followed him until Wufei was fed up.

"Stop!" Heero threw up his hands in frustration his next words almost a yell.

"You want me to just leave you here? To let you waste away? I won't do it." Wufei tilted his head back and closed his eyes releasing all the air in his lungs.

"Please…I'm sick of living like this…nothing seems real anymore…"

"You haven't eaten in days, you're being irrational." Heero gave Wufei a long hard stare. He knew his next words wouldn't bode well with his friend but he felt they needed to be said nonetheless. "Duo wouldn't have let you do this to yourself."

The brunette barely got the sentence out before he was punched weakly in the jaw. Heero's head fell to the side and strictly on instinct, he turned and restrained Wufei angrily; upon seeing the tears pouring from the other teen's eyes however, Heero eased up. Wufei grabbed Heero by the collar of his shirt and leaned up to face him.

"You don't talk about him!" Wufei closed his eyes tightly and Heero stared at his friend worriedly. "You weren't there….you weren't there when he…" Suddenly Wufei opened his eyes and pulled Heero within inches of his own face. The brunette didn't flinch; only staring into Wufei's terrified expression. They stayed that way for what seemed like minutes. Heero kept his expression calm but stern as if he was silently telling Wufei that he would never give up on him. Merely seconds later; Wufei let Heero go and turned away from him distraught, he had already given up on himself. Heero backed off and let Wufei have some space. After another moment of silence, Wufei readjusted his position on the bed and handed Heero the bandage material again. He wouldn't look at his friend while he continued to rewrap his bandaging. Once Heero was done, he spoke softly.

"Would you like me to bring you anything? Food, water?"

Wufei shook his head and Heero frowned.

"I can stay with you if…"

"I'm tired Heero." The brunette could only concede to him. He knew if he pushed too much it would only make things worse.

"I'll check on you after a while…" Wufei didn't look up as Heero walked out of his room closing the door behind him. The brunette couldn't get out of the room fast enough as tears started gathering in his eyes.

Heero made his way to the gym meticulously avoiding any rooms where he might run into Trowa or Quatre. His fists were balled but shaking; he knew he needed to get some of his pent up energy out. Finally finding himself in the workout space, Heero went straight for the punching bag and wasted no time in starting his usual routine. He punched, dodged, kicked, and repeated over and over again. Sweat started dripping down his forehead and soaking his shirt. He kept on. His breathing grew haggard and he knew he should stop before he wore himself out but he couldn't.

"Heero?"

The brunette turned surprised at hearing someone say his name. For the smallest second he saw Duo standing off to his side and he stared in bewilderment. He was quickly brought back to reality when the punching bag swung into him knocking his body harshly to the ground. Heero grunted and winced in pain as he rolled onto his side. He looked up as Quatre kneeled down next to him.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." The blonde placed a cautious hand on Heero's shoulder as he focused on regaining air in his lungs. Heero nodded to the question at first but sighed and shook his head quickly. He rolled onto his back again and Quatre sat down waiting for Heero to talk, if we wanted to. Heero stared up at the ceiling as he spoke.

"I can't believe he's gone…" Quatre frowned at this and Heero closed his eyes as tears fell down his temples. "He's just…gone. No more jokes, no more nicknames…We'll never hear his voice again…"

At seeing the brunette break down, Quatre felt his own tears falling. He didn't know what to say; he was feeling just as much grief as Heero, how could he comfort him if he hadn't gotten past it himself? Heero took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Wufei wants me to let him die…"

Quatre was shocked; he had suspected it all would lead to this but still could not imagine Wufei coming to that point. Heero felt guilty for saying it aloud. Some of him felt that way simply because it wasn't really his business to spread but also because he felt relieved telling someone else about it as if it would lessen the burden on himself. Quatre frowned as he watched Heero battling his own emotions. He thought back to Heero's statements earlier about Duo. He couldn't help but smile at the fonder memories of their comrade and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"Duo joked around a lot…" Quatre's words were soft but Heero paid close attention knowing they weren't said lightly. "But his most important mission was always to keep us safe and together as a group. He told me that once just after the wars." Heero perked up listening even more at this. "I think Duo really changed all of us somehow…made us come out from our own worlds and kept us together."

The brunette nodded knowing full and well what Quatre meant. He himself had experienced it; Duo pulling him away from what he was doing alone and into the group conversation. And knowing he could never thank Duo now for everything he'd done for him, he only grew sadder. Quatre spoke again with conviction.

"Duo will always be a part of us because he's the reason we've stayed together for so long," Quatre paused as he spoke taking his words into consideration. "I guess the best way we can honor him is by sticking together."

Heero took a deep breath hearing Quatre's words loud and clear. He memorized those words in hopes that in hard times later it would keep him motivated. Heero opened his eyes with new determination. "You're right. We can still honor Duo. And I won't let him down."

_With the immediate rate of fire from twenty guns it was impossible for the pilots not to obtain some injuries within seconds. They drew their guns immediately returning fire and trying their best to back out of the room and into some cover. When Wufei took a bad injury to his lower leg and fell down to one knee, Duo jumped into action. Grunting in pain, Duo pulled his smoke grenade and threw it at the soldiers in front of them, pulling Wufei behind the wall next to the doors. The two heard as their attackers started sputtering and coughing; they tried to catch their breath but Wufei was beyond furious. Taking in a few gulps of air, the Chinese kneeled next to the door and took some blind shots into the smoke-filled room before pushing the doors closed again._

"_Chang!" Looking around, Wufei saw a door opened nearby leading into another room where Duo must've called him from. He quickly made his way to the door dropping his own smoke grenade in the hallway and slamming the door and barricading it. Immediately he dropped to the ground again in pain and anger._

"_I knew something was wrong…it was an ambush, damn it!" It had just happened too quickly, they were caught so off-guard. He grabbed his communicator screaming over it for the backup to get their asses there. Wufei knew he was bleeding from several serious wounds and he took another deep breath before looking around for his partner. _

"_Maxwell! Status!" _

"_Fine…" Duo didn't sound too convincing…_

Wufei shot up in bed awoken suddenly by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to his right to find Heero looking apologetic. He spoke softly.

"I didn't mean to wake you, sorry." Wufei closed his eyes and took a breath nodding to Heero that it was okay. Heero's hand squeezed Wufei's shoulder slightly, "Seemed like you were dreaming…" Heero left the statement open for Wufei to respond but the Chinese chose to let it linger not wanting to discuss it. Heero waited a moment longer before he knew there would be no discussion and continued.

"There's breakfast and coffee downstairs…" Wufei rolled away from Heero's touch.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry." Heero pulled his hand into his body like it was injured and frowned. Unsure of what else to do, he simply left the room letting Wufei rest more. He left the room closing the door gently behind him and made his way toward the staircase. He rubbed his eyes and nose though he was unable to wipe the fatigue and stress from his mind. He hadn't slept at all, barely eaten anything; it was starting to take a toll on him. He couldn't give up on Wufei; he wouldn't give up on him. Heero entered the living room where Trowa and Quatre were resting together on the couch. He sunk down into an armchair and sighed.

"Still no luck?" Heero shook his head without even looking up at Quatre's voice. The blonde looked up at his lover and frowned at Heero's appearance. Trowa observed as well at the brunette's ragged appearance before speaking.

"Heero, you need to take care of yourself too. Have you been sleeping?"

Heero looked over at the couple and they immediately recognized the dark circles under his eyes as the answer to their question. Heero sighed rubbing his eyes with his palms, speaking quietly "If I keep trying I'll get through to him. I just have to keep trying." Heero spoke the words as if they had become his mantra. Quatre frowned even more.

"I wish he would just talk to us. He's obviously hurting." Trowa put an arm around Quatre's shoulders and squeezed him a little.

"We're all hurting. Duo was a part of all of us." Trowa's comment suddenly sparked something in Heero and he became angry.

"Which is exactly why he needs to stop being so self-centered." Quatre and Trowa were slightly startled by the comment that seemed to come out of nowhere. Before either had a chance to react, Heero was up out of his chair and on his way back up the stairs. They could only guess what was going to happen next and hope no one would be injured afterward.

He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. All this time he'd tip-toed around Wufei's feelings not wanting to push him but that's not how Chang Wufei works. He needed to finally see the reality of it all which meant a nice big shove into it. Heero didn't cool down at all as he stormed up the stairs and walked right through Wufei's bedroom door. Startled, the dark-haired teen sat up as much as he could in bed and stared at Heero's unyielding expression.

"You're being an asshole you know." Wufei furrowed his brow at Heero.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you." Heero responded immediately and walked towards Wufei's bed getting into his face. "He was a huge part of all of us and it's not fair that you get to just escape it all up here by yourself while we mourn over him without you." Both could hear the underlying quiver in Heero's voice though he was trying desperately to stay strong. Wufei shook his head.

"I'm not escaping anything…"

"Yes you are," Heero interrupted, "You're keeping all to yourself making us worry about you and wonder all of the time. Telling me you want to die. You're not the only one who lost a friend."

Heero stared at Wufei, not angry but still trying to push him and Wufei frowned realizing that maybe he was right. Even though they hadn't been there with Duo when he died, they had all been affected by his death. And Duo was just as much a part of them as he was Wufei; really there were all a family now. He couldn't let his guilt overcome him and ruin the other friendships in his life. Heero sighed, calming down some.

"We're all trying to cope…maybe together we can move on from this." Knowing that he had accomplished what he wanted, Heero left the room. A little bewildered still by what just happened Wufei could only stare after him.

Heero came back down the stairs to find Quatre and Trowa in the same spot staring at him as he sat down. He knew they wanted to know what just happened but Heero just waited. Just as they were about to lose their patience, the couple heard stirring upstairs and were surprised to see Wufei hobbling down the stairs with his cane. He slowly made his way to the living room and stopped just behind the opposite side of the couch. They all stared at each other before Wufei took a breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry."

It needed no further explanation; they understood. It was an apology for himself and for Duo; one that they needed to hear even though they held no blame on Wufei for Duo's death. They all had a moment of silence to let it sink in and it was comforting again that they were all together. Tears quietly fell from all eyes for a friend that could never be replaced in their hearts. After a while, Quatre stood and approached Wufei; he had tears in his eyes but a smile on his face as he pulled Wufei in for a hug. Wufei's eyes welled up as well but he smiled and spoke again in a soft voice.

"I hate to trouble you but is there anything to eat?" Quatre chuckled and pulled away from his friend leading him slowly into the kitchen. Trowa looked to Heero who leaned his head back in his chair. Trowa stood and followed his love into the kitchen but stopped briefly to place a supportive hand on Heero's shoulder. Heero closed his eyes in relief; all was well for now.

-End-

Please review! I will definitely be more inspired to post the rest if I get some reviews.

Sorry that I killed off Duo BTW; just know a story is much harder to write without him in it. Also, I apologize if the boys seem girly… I can't really help it since I am a girl but I did try to rewrite some of the conversations to make them sound more like men.


End file.
